{"id":1204,"date":"2026-01-20T16:24:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phonelocker.marklanham.com\/?p=1204"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:24:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:24:19","slug":"is-foso-the-new-fomo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phonelocker.marklanham.com\/ja\/is-foso-the-new-fomo\/","title":{"rendered":"FOSO\u306f\u65b0\u3057\u3044FOMO\uff1f"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Not long ago, FOMO (The fear of missing out) was a feeling that many of us were far too familiar with. Thanks to social media and the instant connectivity that we have at our fingertips, we\u2019re able to keep up with everything and everyone, all the time. But should we?<\/p>\n

Our ability to access this non-stop stream of information and updates has meant that we are always involved, and feelings of FOMO begin to subside \u2026 until you switch off.<\/p>\n

Enter\u00a0FOSO<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The Fear Of Switching Off.<\/p>\n

The Rise of FOSO<\/strong><\/h3>\n

FOSO is that nagging feeling that keeps us tethered to our devices. It\u2019s that anxiety and unease that you feel when you try to disconnect. It is the fear of missing out on important updates that 1 in 3 people globally experience and this fear is an instigator for the information overload that we try to process every day.<\/p>\n

Consultant counselling psychologist Dr Ritika Suk Birah commented;<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not robots, we often believe that we can just keep going and going, but that\u2019s the reason that burnout is so common\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

This belief that we can function and thrive from stress has serious implications for our long term physical and mental health, which is exhibited in the \u00a351 billion that\u00a0poor mental health cost UK employers<\/a>\u00a0in 2024.<\/p>\n

One reason this figure is so startingly high is because the term FOSO originates from the work place, where many employees feel\u00a0\u2018immense pressure\u2019 to check in with work<\/a>, even when taking time off! But this isn\u2019t just the emails sent outside working hours, it\u2019s also the anticipatory stress of responding and the expectation of always being contactable that has given rise to people feeling like they can\u2019t fully switch off.<\/p>\n

If we can be contacted wherever, why can\u2019t we reply?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This feeling has been exacerbated in recent years by the pandemic and the increased opportunities to work from home (WFH). Although many people enjoy the benefits of a WFH lifestyle, not leaving the house and typing away from the dining room table has blurred our work-life boundaries. Additionally, a disproportionate number of people feel that because they are not in the office being seen working, they need to prove they are through producing results.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The Hustle and Bustle<\/h3>\n

For many that are able to find a balanced work life, the need to be hyper-productive and the emergence of \u2018Hustle Culture<\/em>\u2019 which glamorises stories of people working endless hours to become \u2018successful\u2019, means they are constantly working toward unrealistic visions of achievement.<\/p>\n

Part of the rise in \u2018side hustles\u2019 comes from the cost-of-living crisis, which has led many people to try and provide a second income to support their finances. For those who can\u2019t explore this option, there has been an increase in the uncertainty of their job stability. A factor that is causing more and more employees to experience burnout, which comes with its own cohort of additional problems such as difficulty relaxing or enjoying leisure time, increased stress and anxiety and poorer sleep quality to name a few.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering why there isn\u2019t legislation banning employers from expecting their employees to engage in communications outside of working hours, there is\u2026 in France.<\/p>\n

In 2017, the country introduced the \u2018right to switch off law\u2019, and it\u2019s not the first time France has been ahead of the game in public wellbeing laws, as they introduced the first of it\u2019s kind\u00a0School Phone Bans<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the same year, a step that many countries have mirrored since.<\/p>\n

While many UK employees are eager to follow in France\u2019s footsteps again, much of the pressure to respond is implicit and as such we must instead focus on altering the social expectations surrounding switching off, letting people know that it\u2019s okay to have \u2018you\u2019 time, without your device.<\/p>\n

FOSO in all Ages<\/h3>\n

FOSO may have originated in the workplace, but it definitely hasn\u2019t stayed there, in fact with the constant notifications and alerts we receive averaging over 150 a day, the fear of switching off has well and truly entered all phases of our lives.<\/p>\n

The average number of notifications for young people far surpasses this with several students from the recent documentary\u00a0SWIPED: The School that Banned Smartphones<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0remarking that they expect to receive upwards of 300 messages a day, which is leading to\u00a0\u2018extreme anxiety and panic attacks\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The documentary goes on to explore the impact of removing smartphones from these children, finding that the absence of devices saw significant decreases in anxiety and symptoms linked to depression and well as a boost in working memory.<\/p>\n

If we as adults are struggling with regulating our tech habits, then it would be unfounded to expect children to successfully navigate this without support. However, awareness on the matter is growing with further research being conducted and many\u00a0Schools implementing phone bans<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0using methods such as Lockable Phone Pouches and phone lockers.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

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